Research Papers
Re-framing of Childcare in Germany and England
From a private responsibility to an economic necessity
By Anneli Rüling, University of Goettingen, Sociology Institute
In both Germany and England a process of re-framing the political discourses around
childcare for infants (0–3 years) can be seen in the last 10 years. In this paper, this re-framing process is analysed using the example of the political debates around the introduction of two central pieces of legislation on the expansion of childcare for this age group: the Tagesbetreuungsausbaugesetz (TAG) (2004) in Germany and the Childcare Bill (2005) in England. While family policy and childcare have been considered ‘soft’ topics in both countries, childcare has been re-framed as a ‘hard’ economic issue in both England and Germany during the period analysed. However, as the comparison shows, this re-framing takes place in the context of specific welfare state traditions.
October 2008
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More Thatcherite Than Ever
Why New Labour Can Cut Benefits
By Peter Taylor-Gooby, University of Kent
The U.K. government’s plans to end incapacity benefit for all but the most disabled people and make the unemployed work for their benefits are a major departure from traditional Labour policies. It is not often recognised how far British public opinion has shifted towards a liberal individualist stance on social issues in recent years.
September 2008